Sunday, April 20, 2014

Jack White successfully delivered on his plans to issue the “world’s fastest-released record in the history of mankind” as part of Record Store Day on Saturday.

White’s plan was to record a live version of the title track from his upcoming album, “Lazaretto”, in front of a live audience at his Third Man Records label offices in Nashville, have the masters pressed at a local facility and shipped back to Third Man for public sale was set for 6 hours – and he did it in just under 4 hours.

Shortly after 10 am Saturday, White took the stage to record the song and the clock started ticking. Following “Lazaretto”, White recorded the B-side – a cover of Elvis Presley's 1969 song "Power Of My Love."

During the Record Store Day event, White posted a photo from the pressing plant with the first single, accompanied by two police officers who provided escort for the occasion.

“World's Fastest Record. First 45 off the presses!,” he wrote. “Only took 3 hours!!! Now back to Third Man! #worldsfastestrecord #rsd2014”

Once the first batch of 7"s were pressed and assembled, they were personally escorted by White back to Third Man to sell the first copy to the members of Whirlwind Heat, who were performing that afternoon on the same stage.

The official reading on the stopwatch at the time of sale was 3:55:21.

Due June 10, the “Lazaretto” album is the follow-up to White’s 2012 US No. 1 record, “Blunderbuss.”

White will kick off a world tour in support of the new project on May 29th at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, OK and continue with stops throughout North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom, wrapping up with a headline slot at the Osheaga Music & Arts Festival in Montreal in early August.